Unfair Rule
by Paradoxal Reality
Summary: Why did Mac make a "selfish" friend like Bloo? Maybe this is why.


A/Note: I've really fallen in love with Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. But something bothered me about the first few episodes; why does a nice kid like Mac have a friend that he made up who is so.. bratty and selfish at times? This is what I think the reason is. Please let me know what you think.

"Unfair Rule"

I hate these rules.

Of course I understand the need for them, but that doesn't make me hate them any less. Rules are supposed to make things safer, better and more equal. Rules are supposed to keep the playing field level and make us all improve ourselves through cooperation and self-awareness. Rules are set down by those older, and wiser than us to protect us, shelter us, and guide us into a better tomorrow.

Why do I hate them so much? Because rules are big, fat liars.

Rules make me have to stay home and obey my literally stupid, mean older brother Terrence. And why? Why do I have to listen to that bullying jerk? Not for any good, rational reason. No. Mom sets down these rules for me because I'm too little. Too inexperienced, she says. Too young.

Rules mean that even though Mom recognises Terrence as a habitual liar and bully, she still has him look after me. Even when she also recognizes that I'm the more mature, responsible one. If rules were really fair, then I would be the one in charge, because I'm the one who understands that we shouldn't wreck up the house while Mom's gone to work all day, so that she doesn't come home tired to a house full of things to be cleaned. If rules were there to really make things better, then Mom would never put Terrence in charge. Instead, she'd bust Terrence for lying to her, and punish him. If rules were really there to make things safer, I'd never have to obey my brother, who once tried to put my head into the fish bowl, just to see if it would fit. Instead, she'd send him off to military school until he stopped wanting to greet me by chasing me around the house threatening to pound me just for existing.

But instead of punishing Terrence, rules seem to be here to punish me. At least, they do in our house. Rules mean that because Mom knows that I am the mature, responsible one, I have to give up Bloo, my imaginary friend. My best friend. The only one who knows the whole truth about what goes on in our household when Mom's gone. I'm the one who obeys rules, so rules are set up to make me do things that will make my brother misbehave less. And why? To supposedly accomodate Terrence, so he'll stop picking on me? Because she thinks that my having Bloo makes Terrence mad for some reason, or ashamed of me? Terrence picking on me is WHY I have Bloo, not the other way around! I had to have someone else in my corner, because Mom, you're never there to back me up!

Rules are also why I have Bloo. Bloo understands how rules treat me, in our house.

Bloo is partially here to tear down rules. To do things I'd get in trouble for, because I still secretly want them done. To knock Terrence down. To make HIM get in trouble for once. To help me escape from having to do his homework again. Bloo is here in some ways because I secretly hate having to be so responsible, to be so accommodating, to be so ignored because I don't make waves. Bloo is the part of me that wants to stand up to Mom, to Terrence, to any authority figure and yell "NO! NOT THIS TIME! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME ANYMORE JUST BECAUSE I LET YOU, BECAUSE YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN CHARGE!"

I don't want to just let adults walk all over me anymore. It makes me sick in my heart to let things happen I know are wronge just because it makes their lives easier in the short term. I want to fight back. I want to see what's hidden behind the forbidden doors just BECAUSE I'm not supposed to. In fact, I want to be selfish for once. I'm only eight years old! I'm the kid here! Me! Not Terrence! Not anymore! It's his time to grow up, not mine! Stop punishing ME to make HIM behave!

Mom, please! I know you work all day! I know you come home tired! I know you just want some peace and quiet, but please! Mom, can't you look towards the cause of our behavior? Can't you come up with the energy to figure out what's going on here? Can't you please, please consider, for just a moment, what you're teaching Terrence and I about responsibility? That he never has to have any, because you'll just make the people who do bend over backwards for him?

Mom, quit doing this! Quit letting him get away with it! Quit projecting the cause of all this onto me!

I don't want to conform totally to what "adults" think is 'healthy' and 'normal'. I want to do what makes me FEEL healthy and normal and happy! You can't make me be happy with your unfair rules! You can't tell me when I'm ready to grow up! You can't take my childhood away from me! Not yet! Not when I haven't even really gotten to use it yet! Just because YOU were made to give up your imaginary friend before you were as old as me, does that give you the right to make me give up mine? To take away my one small piece of reassurance in this unfair world of adult rules?

I WON'T! I just won't let you!

So I'll sneak off each day after school. It's not like I want to spend any more time around Terrence than I have to, anyway. I'll go visit Bloo. I'll live life and childhood to the fullest while I'm there with him at Foster's, being thrilled and annoyed by him because that's what makes me feel happy, healthy and alive. Because I created him, and I'm too responsible to abandon him just because you tell me to, or because Terrence threatens me. Because Bloo is a part of me that I know I need, and that I don't have to give up. Madame Foster has shown me that I never have to truly let go of my childhood, no matter what my family or society at large thinks.

And while I'm there, I'll say hi to all the good ideas you and so many others have 'outgrown', just because you thought you had to. Just because someone else made an unfair rule that said you should, and you were too obedient or too irresponsible to disobey. Ideas like courage when it really counts, no matter how scared you are to do the right thing. Ideas like high, lofty hope and optimism for the future, regardless of how life has treated you so far. Like quirky, unexpected surprises that just might help you get through another day when things just seem to be impossible.

And like breaking rules, because they're not always fair.

Especially for mature, responsible kids with bullying, immature older brothers.


End file.
